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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 




What Child is This? 



WHO-WAS-IT? 

STORIES 



BY 

JULIA H. JOHNSTON 

WITH A PREFACE BY 

CLARA E. LAUGHLIN 




BOSTON 

RICHARD G. BADGER 

The Gorham Press 

1912 



Copyright, IQH, by Richard G. Badger 



All Rights Reserved 

3 S s'oi 



This series of stories originally appeared in 
The Interior and the author desires to ex- 
press her appreciation of the Editor's courtesy 
in allowing their publication in this form. 



The Gorham Press, Boston, U. S. A. 

%o.so 

©CLA303115 



WHO WAS IT that these stories old 
Were meant to reach, as thus retold? 
The little child, so sweet and dear, 
The littlest one, with listening ear, 
Who should these tales familiar hear. 
The work for children — write it down, 
Has been the writer's joy and crown; 
And so, to every one of these, 
This book is offered, if you please, 
With love alway, by 

j- h. J. 



INTRODUCTION 

In presenting to the public Miss Johnston's 
ingenious little stories, Richard G. Badger is 
conferring a benefaction on our alert children, 
and extending a helping hand to a great host 
of earnest mothers, often at the end of their 
inventiveness and even patience, when it 
comes to the constant entertaining and 
instruction of the little ones. 

As a child lover and the father of a lively 
company, I greatly appreciate the gifts of 
women who, like Miss Johnston, can arouse 
the interest and command the attention of 
these eager seekers after truth. Everything 
that I have read of the author convinces me 
that she knows by that subtle instinct that 
we generally associate with the world's 
motherhood, the point of surest contact with 
the child. These charming worth-while 
stories strengthen the conviction. 

William Chalmers Covert. 

Chicago, 111. 



PREFACE 

These stories are for the littlest folks. They 
are sent out with the hope that they may be 
bound up in the most hallowed recollections 
of many men and women of "the day after 
to-morrow" in some such wise as this: At 
the story-hour, that sweetest time of day 
which no wise mother allows anything to 
disturb, mother may vary the usual program 
of familiar songs and nursery rhymes and 
fairy stories and tales of "when I was a little 
girl," with the reading of one of Miss John- 
ston's narratives from the Bible. Miss John- 
ston is one of the most experienced of women 
in the lovely art of imparting Bible know- 
ledge to children, and a most loving student 
of the Holy Word. After each story has been 
read by mother, with the littlest of all on 
her lap and the other little ones gathered 
about her knee, she is to ask of the tiny group, 
"Who Was It?" and see which child identi- 
fies the unnamed chief character. Nothing 
could be simpler, less unique. But it's not 
the unique that hallows the confidential 
story hour; it's the blessedly homely and 
plain and familiar. What we want to help 



the mothers do is to weave about those Bible 
characters a twofold sacredness, — for their 
association with the Divine Word, and for 
their association with the loveliest memories 
men and women carry through life with them. 
We covet nothing so much as that as the 
years roll by. Here and there a man orwoman 
looking back to the sweet story hours which 
a sainted mother made unspeakably precious 
shall find these stories woven into the pattern 
of those reminiscences, "When mother 
used to read Who Was It? Stories to us, and 
we guessed about Noah and Joshua." If, 
years hence, some people speak of that with 
softened hearts and shining eyes, then shall 
we rejoice that these stories were given to 
the littlest folks. 

Clara E. Laughlin. 





CONTENTS 




CHAPTER PAGE 


I 


The Foolish Gardener 


13 


II 


The First Shipbuilder 


16 


III 


A Long-Ago Home Seeker 


19 


IV 


The Little Lad Whose Voice 






God Heard 


22 


V 


A Lonely Traveler 


25 


VI 


The Girl at the Well 


28 


VII 


The Young Dreamer 


31 


VIII 


The Baby in the Bulrushes 


34 


IX 


Two Spies Whom God 






Praised 


37 


X 


The Brave Captain 


40 


XI 


The Baby Who Grew to be a 






Judge 


43 


XII 


A Gleaner in the Barley Field 


46 


XIII 


The Brave Captain of Three 






Hundred Men 


49 


XIV 


The Lent Child 


52 


XV 


The Tall Young Man Who 






Was Made King 


55 


XVI 


A Young Giant Killer 


58 


XVII 


A Royal Temple Builder 


61 


XVIII 


A Woman Who Traveled Far 






to Ask Questions 


64 


XIX 


The Man Whom Ravens Fed 


67 


XX 


A Captain Who Listened to a 






Message from a Little Maid 


70 



CHAPTER PAGE 

XXI A Boy King 
XXII A Prophet in the Prison Pit 

XXIII The President Punished for 

Praying 

XXIV The Man in the Camel's-Hair 

Coat 
XXV The Baby Saved from a Cruel 

King 
XXVI A Tax Collector Who Left 

His Business 
XXVII A Teacher Who Went to be 

Taught 
XXVIII The Loving Father of a Little 
Sick Girl 
XXIX The Man Who Walked on the 

Water 
XXX A Good Housekeeper and Her 

Company 
XXXI A Lowly Learner 
XXXII A Man Who Crossed the Road 
to Help Another 

XXXIII A Man Who Received a Great 

Gift 

XXXIV A Happy Beggar 
XXXV A Woman with a Needle 

XXXVI A Prisoner Who Was Set Free 
XXXVII Two Traveling Missionaries 
Who Left Joy Behind Them 
XXXVIII The Man in a Basket 
XXXIX A Shipwrecked Prisoner 



73 
76 

79 

82 

85 

88 

91 



97 

100 
103 

106 

109 
112 
115 
118 

121 
124 

127 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



What Child is This? Frontisp 


>iece 


Who are These? Facing page 16 


Who is the Man Asleep? 


26 


Tell the Baby's Name 


34 


Where are the Spies? 


38 


Who was He? 


46 


Who is the Gleaner? 


62 'r 


What Story does the Picture Tell? 


64 / 


Name These Three 


86 


Whose Daughter is This? 


94 / 


Who cried, "Save Me"? 


98 


Name the Preacher on the Shore 


128 



WHO WAS IT? 

The Foolish Gardener 

I 

ONCE upon a time — oh, it was long and 
long ago, and far away — the Lord 
Himself planted the most beautiful garden 
you ever heard of. There were trees for 
shade and trees that bore delicious fruits 
of many kinds. Lovely flowers poured out 
sweetness from their bright cups, and singing 
birds and dainty butterflies flew in and out 
among them. Everything that was good for 
food grew in this garden, and it was watered 
by a fair river. In the middle of the garden 
grew a wonderful tree, called the Tree of 
Knowledge of Good and Evil. 

When the garden was all ready to live in, 
the Lord God created a man to live in it and 
take care of the beautiful growing things. 
Then He gave him a wife who was as beauti- 
ful as the flowers, and the gardener was 
perfectly happy. In the mornings the two 
would go out together to see what was to be 
done, and as they worked through the day 

13 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

they never grew tired. They were so strong, 
and the work was so easy, that it was only a 
pleasure to be busy. When the day grew 
cool, and the soft shadows fell among the 
trees, the Lord God came down to talk with 
the happy people. 

There were animals of all kinds in the 
garden, but they had no names. They were 
so tame that they came up to the gardener 
like pet dogs, and he gave them names. 

These two people had all they wished to 
eat without paying for it. All the good 
things were free. But there was just one 
tree that was not to be touched. The Lord 
God, who gave them so much, surely might 
say what they should do. He said, "Do not 
eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of 
Good and Evil. If you do, you must die." 

One day the gardener's wife heard a new 
voice. The wicked one, Satan, taking the 
shape of a serpent, told her God did not 
mean what He said, and that she would be 
very wise if she ate this fruit. Instead of 
going away, she gazed and listened, took the 
fruit and ate it. Then she took some to her 
husband and he did eat. Oh, the foolish 
gardener, to disobey and give up so much 
just for a taste of that fruit! 

14 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

God's voice in the cool of the day frightened 
the two who had disobeyed, and they tried 
to hide. But they had to answer His ques- 
tions, and God had to keep His word. After 
this the perfect bodies could not live forever, 
free from pain. Their hearts were sad because 
now they were no longer perfectly good. 

Now they must work hard among thorns 
and thistles for their daily food. An angel 
with bright sword drove them from the 
garden, never more to go back. 

Yet the loving God promised them a 
Saviour by and by. Who was the foolish 
gardener? Who was his wife? 



IS 



WHO WAS IT ? 

The First Shipbuilder 

II 

THERE was once a shipbuilder who built 
a ship on dry land. He never built 
but one, but he was the first man we hear 
of who built any at all. He had never seen 
one and had no pattern. This made no 
difference, for his Father — God — told the 
man exactly how to build the vessel. It was 
to be a life-saving ship, and must be made in 
the very best way and out of the best things. 
Not a poor bit of wood must go into that 
boat, and the builder must do his best. This 
he did. 

He never would have thought of building 
this ship, far off from river or sea, but when 
God told him to do it, he obeyed. When 
God showed him how to do it, he did as he 
was told. He had faith in God. When the 
Lord said that by and by there would be a 
great flood of water on the earth, and that 
only those in the ship could be kept safe, 
the man was sure that it was all true. It 



16 




O 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

was because he believed and obeyed God that 
he was chosen to build the ship and make 
a way for his family to be saved when the 
flood came. 

It took a long time to build the vessel. 
It had rooms and a window, and a door in 
the side, and places for animals and fowls. 
Food enough for all was stored away, and 
when the time came, God told the builder 
to take the animals and fowls into the ship, 
seven of some kinds and two of some, and 
then to go in himself, with his wife, three 
sons and their wives. And God shut them 
in. Surely the builder must have invited 
others. When they would not come, and 
laughed at the ship on dry land, they had 
to be left outside. 

Then the great rain fell, and the water 
rose above the highest mountains. But all 
in the ship were safe. Forty days and nights 
the flood lasted, and the earth was under 
water one hundred and fifty days. At last, 
a raven was sent out to see if it could live, 
and also a dove. The dove came back, and 
after seven days another was sent, which 
brought back an olive leaf. This showed 
that trees now grew above the water. 
Another dove sent out came back no more. 



17 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

Then, when the earth was dry, the ship- 
builder and his family went out and built 
an altar to God, praising Him for His good- 
ness. And to show that God would keep 
His promise that there should never be 
another flood, He set in the sky the beauti- 
ful rainbow which we always see when the 
sun shines on a rain-cloud. 

And the Lord God said that summer and 
winter, day and night, should not cease. 

What was the ship called which this 
man built far from the water, on dry land? 
What was the shipbuilder's name? 



18 



WHO WAS IT? 
A Long-Ago Home-Seeker 

III 

ONCE there was a man seventy-five years 
old who started out to find a new home. 
He was a home-seeker. He went because 
God told him to go, and because God prom- 
ised him a better home after his long jour- 
ney. He wished to make him the first father 
of many people who should be the Lord's 
own. So the man who believed God and 
wished to obey Him, started off, with his 
wife, upon the long journey. It made no 
difference to him whether he knew the way 
or not. He trusted God to lead him. 

This traveler had no children, and yet 
God promised that his children, grand- 
children, and great-grandchildren should be 
very, very many. He could not understand 
this, but he trusted and went on. When he 
was about one hundred years old, the Lord 
sent a baby boy into his tent-home, for the 
man was still journeying on to the " promised 
land." 



19 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

How the father and mother loved this 
little child — their only one! It had seemed 
too wonderful to be true that they should 
have this baby given to them, but God 
promised, and was sure to keep His word. 
The man believed this, and went on his way. 

One day when the baby had grown to be 
a boy able to take long walks, God gave the 
father a chance to show just how much he 
trusted the promise that this boy should be 
the father of many. He told him to take 
his son and go away into a land and to a 
mountain that should be shown him, and 
there offer his darling boy to God upon an 
altar, instead of a lamb, that was offered in 
those days when they prayed. 

The father could not understand this at 
all. But he trusted the Lord God, and 
believed that all would come right. He did 
not tell the mother, it seems, for he knew 
how she would grieve, and he felt sure that 
God would give back the boy. So he took 
his son and went on, trusting all the way, 
hard as it was. The boy wondered where 
the lamb could be for the offering, but the 
father said, "God will make it ready in time." 
At last, when the father was just ready to 
offer his son, an angel called to him from 

20 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

heaven not to touch him nor hurt him. 
"Now I know," God said, "that you 
love and trust me, for you have not kept 
back your only son from me. You have 
been willing to give him to me, and now 
I give him back to you." Then the 
father looked, and there was a sheep caught 
in the bushes. He took this and offered it 
to God with a glad heart. 

This home-seeker who trusted God never 
really lived in the land promised to his 
children, but God took him home to heaven, 
and this boy and his children lived in the 
"promised land" below. 



21 



WHO WAS IT? 
The Little Lad Whose Voice God Heard 

IV 

ONCE upon a time there was an Egyptian 
woman who was a maid in the family 
of a rich man of another nation. This wo- 
man had a little boy who seemed to be a 
lively child, fond of fun and play, and very 
strong. One day the mistress of the house 
found the boy teasing her only son. She did 
not like this, and said to the master of the 
house, her husband, " Send away that woman 
and her son. I can't have them here with 
my boy." The master was troubled about 
this at first, but God spoke to him and said, 
"Do it. I will take care of this boy too." 

Early in the morning the master rose up, 
took a bottle of water and some bread, laid 
them on the Egyptian woman's shoulder, 
and sent her away with her child. 

She went on and on, wandering about in 
a wilderness place where no one lived. By 
and by the water was gone from the bottle, 
and she could find no more in that wild, 



22 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

lonely spot. The boy was so thirsty that 
he cried for a drink, and it broke his mother's 
heart to have no water for him. She could 
not bear to see him suffer, so she laid him 
gently down under a bush and went about as 
far away as one could shoot an arrow, for 
she said, "Let me not see the death of the 
child." She knew he must die if he could 
not have water soon, that little, thirsty, 
crying boy that she loved so; and she sat 
down and cried too, lifting up her voice and 
weeping aloud. 

The little boy under the bush must have 
been pretty weak by this time, but as he 
cried in his weak little voice, behold, "God 
heard the voice of the lad." He heard the 
mother too, but nothing is said about that. 
God wanted us to remember, when He had 
that written down, that He listened to the 
crying of a child. Then the Lord sent an 
angel to say to the mother, "What is the 
matter?" And the angel said, "Don't be 
afraid. God has heard the voice of the lad 
where he is. Rise and lift up the boy and 
hold him in your hand; for I will make him 
a great nation." And God opened the 
mother's eyes, — that is, made her see 
clearly, — and there was a well of water. Oh, 



23 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

how she hurried to fill that empty bottle 
and give a cool drink to the thirsty child 
under the bush! Surely she took him in 
her arms, as the angel told her to. She did 
not think of herself, I suppose, till the boy 
had all he wished. That is the way with 
mothers. But when she tasted the water 
from the well God showed her, how sweet 
it must have been! "And God was with the 
lad; and he grew, and became an archer.'' 
Who was he? 



24 



WHO WAS IT? 

A Lonely Traveler 

V 

ONCE upon a time there were two brothers. 
One of them was a farmer and the 
other was a hunter. The farmer had a 
smooth skin, but the hunter had hairy hands 
and wrists. 

One day the farmer had gotten ready a 
dish of vegetables, a kind of beans they were, 
and before he could eat any, the older 
brother, the hunter, came in, all tired out 
and hungry. "Sell me that dish," he said. 
"I will," said the farmer, "if you will give 
me your right as the oldest son, so that I 
may have the first place in the family." 
"I will," said the hunter, — though he had 
no right to do it, — and he took the dish of 
beans. 

A while after this, the farmer who had 
made such a bargain with the hunter, 
cheated him again, and cheated his father, 
making him think that the farmer was the 
hunter, when the father wished the hunter 

25 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

to do something for him and receive his 
blessing. The hunter was so angry with the 
farmer-brother after this, that he said he 
would kill him. The mother and father were 
much troubled over the quarrel, and said 
to the farmer, " You will have to go away to 
save your life." 

So the young man who had cheated his 
brother went away. He had an uncle who 
lived in another place. It was a long jour- 
ney and he had no way to go but to walk. 
There was no other place to go, and he had 
to start out on foot. It was a rough road 
among the hills, and when night came the 
lonely traveler was very tired. He had no 
pillow, so he took of the stones of the place 
for his pillow, and lay down under the quiet 
stars to sleep. 

As he slept he dreamed, and seemed to 
see a wonderful ladder set up on the earth, 
reaching to the sky. Even in the dark night 
this sight was full of light and was all glorious. 
As the traveler looked he saw beautiful 
angels going up and down this ladder. Then 
a Voice spoke from the sky, making wonder- 
ful promises, saying that this land should by 
and by belong to the one who lay there with 
only a stone for his pillow. 

26 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

Then the young man woke and thought 
over the strange, beautiful sight. God must 
be very near. He had not thought about it. 
Now he said, "Surely the Lord is in this 
place and I knew it not." 

The traveler got up and set up his stone 
pillow for a mark or a monument, to keep 
this place so that he would know it again. 
Then he looked up and promised God that 
if the Lord would indeed keep him, and 
bring him back, he would give a tenth of all 
he had to his Heavenly Father, and would 
make this lonely place the house of God 
when he came again. 

What was the name of this lonely traveler? 



27 



WHO WAS IT? 
The Girl at the Well 

VI 

ONCE upon a time there was a man, a 
sort of a prince, who was very rich 
indeed. He had flocks and herds and gold 
and silver, a great store. God had blessed 
him, and had promised him great things. 
But this man was far from his old home and 
lived among heathen people, for God was 
making him the first of a people who should 
by and by be great and have a country of 
their own. The rich man had an only son, 
and he wished him to have a good wife from 
among the old friends left behind. One day 
the master called his chief servant and sent 
him on a long journey back to the old home, 
to bring back a young woman who should be 
a good wife for this son about whom God had 
given wonderful promises. His wife must 
know about the true God, and not be taken 
from the heathen round about. 

So the servant took ten camels and many 
beautiful gifts, and started on his journey. 

28 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

At last he came near the place he sought, 
and he made his camels kneel down by a well 
of water outside the city. It was now evening 
and about the time that the women used to 
come to the well to draw water. 

The good servant, who wished God to lead 
him in everything, now prayed earnestly 
that he might be shown how to do what was 
best and find the right one for his master's 
only son. He prayed that the young maiden 
who should say when he asked her for a 
drink, " Drink and I will give thy camels 
drink also," might be the one the Lord 
meant should go back with him. His prayer 
was hardly ended when a fair young girl came 
out from the city to the well with her pitcher 
on her shoulder. And she went down to the 
well and filled her pitcher and came up. 
Then the servant hurried to her and said, 
"Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of 
thy pitcher. " The girl kindly said, "Drink, " 
and let down her pitcher from her shoulder 
to give him water. Then she said, "I will 
draw water for thy camels also," and she 
poured out the water into the trough and 
dipped more from the well till the camels had 
enough. The man asked her who she was, 
and behold, she was one of the very family 

29 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

of friends that his master had left behind. 
From the store he brought he gave her gold 
and bracelets and jewels, and she invited 
him to stay all night with her father and 
brother. Giving thanks to God who had 
led him, the servant went home with the 
beautiful girl, told his story, asked to take 
back the girl as a bride for his master's son, 
and they blessed her and let her go. Who 
was she ? What was the name of the servant's 
master and of the son? 



30 



WHO WAS IT? 
The Young Dreamer 

VII 

LONG ago and far away there lived a 
boy who dreamed strange dreams. He 
was a good boy, and his father loved him 
and gave him a coat of many colors. The 
older brothers did not like this, and when the 
boy told his dreams about sheaves in the 
field bowing to his sheaf, and sun, moon and 
stars bowing down to him too, as if he were 
to be greater than the rest of the family, 
they hated him the more. 

One time when the brothers were keeping 
the sheep, the father sent this boy to find 
them and see how they did. When they saw 
him coming, they said, "Here comes this 
dreamer. Let us kill him and see what comes 
of his dreams." 

One brother felt sorry to hear such words. 
"Don't kill him," he said. "Put him down 
in this pit." So they did. But this brother 
meant to come and take him out. 

While the kind-hearted one was away 

31 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

somewhere, the rest of them saw some 
travelers on their way down to Egypt, with 
camels loaded with spices. 

This seemed a good chance to get rid of 
the boy in the pit. The brothers took him 
out and sold him to these travelers, and off 
they went. 

When the loving brother came back he 
was dreadfully sorry, but he could do nothing. 

The cruel brothers killed a baby goat, or 
kid, and dipped the beautiful coat in the 
blood. Of course they had not let the boy 
wear that away. They told the father that 
they had found the stained coat. He wept 
for the dear son whom he thought had been 
killed by a wild beast. 

A great captain in Egypt bought the boy 
and was much pleased with him at first. 
Then a cruel lie was told about him and he 
was put in prison. Even there he did his 
best and was set over the prisoners. Two 
of these had troublesome dreams, which 
God helped the young man to explain. 

By and by the king had a strange dream. 
One of those prisoners who had been set free, 
as the dream showed that he would be, 
remembered who had explained it. Then the 
king sent for the young man in prison, and 

32 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

he told him what the dream meant. God had 
sent it to show the king that he must lay 
up food for a time when there should be 
none. The wise young man was set over the 
work of filling storehouses while there was 
plenty of grain. When the time came that 
there were no harvests, he sold food to the 
people so that they would not starve. 

His own brothers came from far away to 
buy. They did not know this great man, but 
he knew them and loved them and forgave 
them. Then he sent for his father, and they 
all came to live together in Egypt. This 
younger brother was next to the king in 
power, and they all turned to him for help. 
Who was he? 



33 



WHO WAS IT? 
The Baby in the Bulrushes 

VIII 

ONCE upon a time there was a baby 
boy who was very beautiful. 
His mother thought so, you may be 
sure, but long afterward it was written 
down about this baby that he was "fair 
to God," and he must have been beautiful 
indeed. 

The king of the country where this baby 
was born was very cruel. The people to 
whom this baby belonged were strangers 
in the land and slaves. The king said there 
were too many of them, and all the boy 
babies must be thrown in the river, so that 
no more would grow up to be men who might 
some day turn soldiers and fight against the 
king. Many boy babies had been drowned 
when this baby came, but he was so sweet 
his mother could not bear to throw him into 
the river, so she hid him three months in the 
house. How she hushed his cries, for fear 
they would be heard! At last she could hide 

34 



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Tell the Baby's Na?ne 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

him no longer. He was too big. She could 
not keep him quiet. 

Lovingly, but with a heart that ached, this 
mother made a little basket cradle for her 
boy, covering it with something like varnish, 
to keep water out. Then she made it soft 
and warm inside, laid the baby in and covered 
him up. Baby's big sister followed as the 
mother carried the basket cradle to the river, 
and laid it carefully among the rushes or 
tall grasses. Sister hid near the shore to 
watch, and the mother hurried away. She 
did not dare to stay. 

By and by, as sister watched and watched, 
there came a princess to the river side to 
take her bath. She was the king's daughter, 
with her servants. Looking out she saw the 
tiny cradle rocked by the waves of the river. 
"What can it be?" she thought. "Go and 
bring it," she said to one of her maids. 

When the little basket cradle was brought 
the coverings were taken off, and there was 
the baby. He looked up at the strange faces. 
It frightened him and he cried. The princess 
couldn't help feeling sorry for the sweet 
baby. "It is one of those children that my 
father said must be drowned," she said. 
Then sister came from her hiding-place. 

35 



WHO WAS IT STORIES? 

She saw that the princess meant to keep the 
baby. " Shan't I call somebody to nurse it 
for you?" she asked. "Yes, go and get a 
nurse," said the princess. And sister hurried 
away for baby's own mother. 

"Take this child and nurse it for me," 
said the princess, "and I will pay you." So 
the mother took care of the baby till he was 
big enough to go to the palace as the son of 
the princess, and to be taught in the best 
schools of Egypt. By and by the boy became 
a great man and led his people away from the 
land of the cruel king. But the princess called 
him by a name which meant "Drawn out of 
the water." What was it? 



36 



WHO WERE THEY? 
Two Spies Whom God Praised 

Chapter IX 

A GREAT while ago some people who 
had been slaves were set free to go to 
the beautiful land which had been given 
them. As they went they must have thought 
and talked much about this Promised Land, 
for it was the fairest the sun shone upon. 
But none of them had ever seen it, and the 
way was long. When the people came near 
the end of their journey, they were told to 
send twelve men to look over the land that 
was to be theirs, before they should all pass 
over into it. These men were called spies. 
A spy is one who searches or finds out things 
in secret. He does not travel where his 
enemies can see and kill him, but goes care- 
fully, and learns what he ought to know. 
The Promised Land was full of heathen who 
would be glad to kill these spies if they could, 
so the men went quietly and carefully up and 
down the country, looking at the cities, 
watching the people, tasting the fruit that 

37 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

grew everywhere, and finding out all that 
they could, so as to tell it when they went 
back. To show what sort of a land it was, 
the spies carried away some of the fruit, that 
the rest might see how wonderful it was. The 
time was the time of ripe grapes, and these 
men came along by a brook one day, and there 
was a vine with such great bunches of grapes 
on it that they cut down a branch which had 
but one cluster, and two had to carry this 
branch between them, to get it safely to the 
camp. The men also carried back figs and 
pomegranates. 

After spending forty days in looking about 
and traveling up and down, the twelve went 
back across the river to the camp. What an 
interesting story they had to tell, and how 
the people gathered to hear it! They showed 
the beautiful fruit, and pictured the wonderful 
land. But some of the men told of the cities 
with high walls, and the people great and 
strong. They were big giants that thought 
the spies were no more than grasshoppers 
to look at, and it was no use to try to fight 
them and take the land. Ten men agreed in 
this, but two said, "Let us go up at once and 
take, it for we are well able." The people 
were so frightened they would not listen to 

38 




Where are the Spies) 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

these two. They cried out, "Have we come 
all this way to have our wives and children 
killed by giants ? Come, let us make us a 
captain and go back where we came from. 
It was better there. " They would not listen 
to the spies who spoke of God's promise and 
power to help. Then God sent them back 
to the wilderness, and not one of the grown 
people ever entered the land, except the two 
good spies. Who were they? 



39 



WHO WAS IT? 
A Brave Captain 

X 

ONCE upon a time there was a soldier 
who had to take a very hard place. It 
took much courage to do it. This young 
man had to take the place of the greatest 
leader and captain that ever lived. This 
great leader was dead, but the people he 
was leading back to the land which used to 
be theirs, had to be guided on their way. 
Their enemies had to be met, and there were 
dangers and many hard things before them. 
Somebody must be the captain. God called 
a young man to take this place and told him 
to be strong and of a good courage. 

First of all, there was a river to cross, and 
there was no bridge. There were no boats, 
either. God told the captain to have the 
priests, or ministers, and their helpers, go 
first, carrying the golden chest which had 
their best treasures in it. As soon as the feet 
of the priests were dipped in the brim of the 
water, the river was divided and there was a 

40 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

path straight through, and all the people 
passed over. The captain told twelve men of 
them to take twelve stones from the river 
bed as they passed over, and set them up on 
the other side to show to the children after- 
ward, and to all people, how God had made 
a path for them through the waters. 

On the other side of the river the enemies 
of the people were ready to keep them from 
coming into the land which really belonged 
to the travelers, who had been on the way 
forty years. There was one city with great 
walls which must be taken first of all, and the 
walls broken down, before anything else 
could be done. 

The brave captain did not know how this 
was to be done, for the walls were so thick 
and the enemies were so strong. God told 
him to lead the people around the walls once 
a day for six days. The priests were to go 
first, blowing trumpets, but the people were 
not to speak a word. On the seventh day, 
after going around seven times, when the 
captain told them to shout, they should 
lift up their voices. 

Can't you follow these people, led by the 
brave captain, day by day? See how they 
go silently around the walls, maybe with 

41 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

their enemies laughing at them above. Each 
day they march around once. But watch 
them on the seventh day, after seven times. 
See the captain in front. He bids the priests 
to sound the trumpets. He cries out " Shout" ; 
and oh, what a shout goes up! Look at those 
high, strong walls. They are falling down. 
Now they are flat on the ground and the 
brave captain leads the people against their 
enemies. The soldiers fight bravely and their 
enemies are beaten. They did not know what 
the true God could do. 

Who was the brave captain ? What was the 
name of the city? 



42 



WHO WAS IT? 
The Baby Who Grew to be a Judge 

XI 

ONCE upon a time, before they had a 
king, God's people were told what to 
do by men called Judges. These Judges 
ruled instead of kings, and saved the people 
from their enemies. 

The worst enemies the people had were 
the Philistines, who lived not far off. They 
were wild and strong, and made much trouble. 
In these sad times there lived a man named 
Manoah, with his wife, in a quiet home in 
the Land of Israel. There were no little 
children in the house to make it glad, but one 
day God sent a shining angel to say that 
these people should have a son. He told them 
what they must do and how they should 
bring up the boy, so that he would be strong 
and good. 

When the beautiful baby came, as God 
promised, the happy father and mother did 
just as they had been told beforehand. The 
boy never touched wine, or anything of that 

43 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

kind. The good Temperance people of those 
days were called Nazarites, and they served 
God in special ways. One way by which they 
were known was by their long hair. It was 
never to be cut. It was one of the rules. 

The Temperance boy grew to be such a 
very strong man, that, one day when a 
lion roared against him, he killed it as easily 
as he would have killed a goat. 

At this time the Philistines were very cruel 
and troublesome. A new Judge was needed 
who would be the leader and helper of God's 
people. No one could do so much for these 
people as Manoah's son, for no one in all 
the land was half so strong as he. God had 
made him a mighty man, so that he could 
help others. 

This man with the long hair, which he must 
not cut because it was a sign that he was a 
Nazarite, fought against the Philistines and 
drove them away. Then he went and stayed 
for awhile on top of a rock. Three thousand 
Philistines came up there to tie him and make 
him their prisoner. They bound him with 
two strong, new cords, but, when they 
shouted against him, God's Spirit made him 
so strong that he broke the cords as if they had 
been threads. 



44 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

Another time this son of Manoah was sent 
to one of the enemies' cities, and they thought 
then that they had him truly. They kept quiet 
all night, saying, "In the morning we will 
kill him." But at midnight this strong man 
got up and carried off the big brass gates 
from the city wall upon his shoulders to the 
top of the hill. As long as he obeyed God 
he was strong. 

But at last a Philistine woman coaxed 
away from him the secret these heathen 
longed to know. He said, "Cut my hair, and 
I will be as weak as any man. " She managed 
to do this. His enemies came in, blinded 
him, and made him grind corn for them. 
One day they took him to the idol temple to 
make fun for them. He prayed, and God 
gave him strength to pull down the house. 
Who was he? 



45 



WHO WAS IT? 

A Gleaner in the Barley Field 

XII 

AWAY off from the land of Israel was 
a strange country called Moab. Once 
upon a time two Jews, a man and his wife, 
with their two sons, went to Moab to stay 
a while, because food was so hard to get at 
home. 

By and by the man died. The two sons 
married there in Moab, and after awhile 
they died. The sorrowful mother heard that 
now, after ten years, she might easily find 
bread in her own land, and felt that she 
could stay away no longer. So she started 
back, and her two daughters-in-law, her 
sons' wives, went to see her on her way. 

But when the time came to part and the 
mother tried to say good by one of the 
loving and sorrowful daughters said that she 
would go on. It was no use to tell her how 
little the mother could do for her. Love was 
so strong that, while her sister gave the 
good-by kiss, this one went on, saying she 

46 




Who was He? 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

would take her mother's people, her 
mother's God, and her mother's home for 
hers. 

So they two went on till they came to 
the old home town of Bethlehem in Judea, 
in the land of Israel. The mother had gone 
away rich and glad, but she came back poor 
and sad, and the people wondered to see her, 
and cried out, "Can this be she?" 

Now the time was when the barley was 
ripe, and the men were cutting it. The 
women from Moab had nothing to live on, 
and the daughter, with her loving heart and 
ready hands, said that she would go and 
glean in the barley field. By following after 
the reapers and looking in all the corners, 
she could gather up enough grain to beat out 
and make bread for the two. The mother 
said, "Go, my daughter." 

The fair young gleaner went into a field, 
and behold, it belonged to a rich relation 
of the mother, a man with a kind and gentle 
heart. When the owner of the field came out 
to the reapers, he said, "The Lord be with 
you," and they answered, "The Lord bless 
thee." Then he saw the gleaner, and asked, 
"Who is this ? " The head man of the reapers 
told him; and the girl from Moab said, "I 

47 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

pray you, let me glean after the reapers 
among the sheaves.' 5 

The rich owner knew then who she was, 
and spoke kindly to her, saying he had heard 
how she had come with the mother, leaving 
all in her own land to come and trust in the 
Lord God of Israel. He told her not to go to 
any other field, but to glean in his, and to 
eat with the reapers. He said to the young 
men, "Let fall some handfuls on purpose for 
her, so that she can gather them up, and 
don't trouble her. " 

There was barley and a happy story for 
the mother that night. In the end the 
kind man married the young gleaner. Who 
was she? 



48 



WHO WAS IT? 

The Brave Captain of Three Hundred 

Men 

XIII 



ONCE upon a time there was a young man 
who had a visit from an angel while 
he was threshing wheat, to hide it from his 
people's enemies. Nothing was safe at this 
time because of them. God's people had 
gone after idols, and now they were in great 
distress because of their enemies. 

The angel said to the young farmer, "Go 
and save the people from their enemies." 
The young man said, "How can I go? I'm 
a poor man and my father is not great. No- 
body thinks anything of us. " 

But the Lord said, by the lips of the angel, 
"I will be with you, and you shall win," 
He also told him to cut down the idol god 
in the grove and set up an altar, or praying 
place, in its stead, and the young farmer did 
as he was told. Some wanted to kill him for 
it, but his father said, "Let the idol take care 
of himself." 



49 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

Soon the young farmer raised a great 
army, which God said was too large. After 
sending home as many as wished to go, the 
rest were taken to drink at a brook. Three 
hundred of them dipped up the water with 
their hands and drank it, but the rest, a 
great number, got down on their knees to 
drink. God said, "Take the three hundred 
and send the rest home. I will save you by 
the three hundred." The enemy's soldiers 
were so many that it seemed as if they were 
like the sand of the sea, too many to count. 

The brave captain of the three hundred 
men armed them with lamps and pitchers 
and trumpets. Wasn't it strange? He divided 
the men into three companies of a hundred 
each, and every one had a trumpet in one 
hand and a pitcher with a lamp in it in the 
other. Then the captain said, "Look at me 
and do as I do." So the three companies of 
men were placed about the camp of sleeping 
soldiers. It was about the middle watch of 
the night, and the guard of soldiers had just 
been set to watch the camp. 

All silently the captain placed his com- 
panies around the camp, and then suddenly 
his voice rang out in a great shout, and he 
blew his trumpet, and broke his pitcher so 

50 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

that the light shone out. Every man did 
exactly the same. Crash went three hundred 
pitchers, and out flashed three hundred 
lights. Three hundred brave voices shouted 
for God and the captain, and three hundred 
trumpets sounded out. The soldiers waked 
from sleep, thinking a great army had come 
upon them. The lights dazed them and it 
seemed as if thousands were shouting around 
the camp. They fell upon each other with 
their swords, not knowing friends from 
enemies, and tried to get away as fast as they 
could. So there was a great victory that 
night. Who was the brave captain? 



51 



WHO WAS IT? 
The Lent Child 

XIV 

ONCE upon a time there was a little lad 
who was a lent child. When you lend 
something that is yours, somebody else has 
the use of it, you know. 

The mother and father of this lent child 
lived in Ramah, long ago, and once a year 
went to Shiloh, where God's house was, to 
pray and offer gifts. Before the baby came 
the woman was so sorrowful because her 
arms were so empty, that once, in the temple, 
she asked God to give her a dear baby boy. 
The minister saw her praying, but he did 
not know what she said to God. 

By and by the sweet baby came, and the 
mother was so happy that she called him by 
a name which meant " Asked of God." 
Every time she said this name it would make 
her remember how baby came. 

While baby was very small, mother did 
not go to God's house. She said, " I will stay 
and take care of my boy till he is big enough 

52 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

to go too. " You see, it was too far for such 
a little thing as the baby. So the mother 
took loving care of her wee boy, and made 
soft, warm little clothes for him, and loved 
him more and more. 

At last he was big enough to go to Shiloh. 
Yet he wasn't very big, for "the child was 
young." She did not wait till he was very 
old. Then she took him to the minister, in 
God's house, and said, "Do you remember 
the woman who was so sorrowful and prayed 
here in the temple? For this child I prayed. 
God has given me what I asked. Now I 
want to give my little boy back to God. I 
will return him, and he shall be lent to the 
Lord as long as he lives." 

So the lent child waited on the minister 
in the temple, and God used the boy to do 
little things for him in his house. Every 
year the dear mother came to see him, and 
brought him a nice little coat which she had 
made. 

One night when the Lord wished to use 
this lent child to carry a message, the boy 
lay down to sleep. It was before the lamp 
went out in the temple. Lying there he 
heard his name called. "Here am I," he 
said, and ran to the minister, feeling sure that 

53 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

he had called. The minister said, "I called 
not. Lie down again." 

This happened three times. Then the 
minister knew that it must be God's voice 
calling. He said, " When you hear your name 
again, answer, 'Speak, Lord. I hear.'" 

How quiet it was then! How the boy 
listened! The voice came again, and he 
answered as he had been told. Then the 
Lord talked with him and gave him a message. 
Next morning he told the minister what God 
had said to him when he called him by name. 
What was his name? 



54 



WHO WAS IT? 

The Tall Young Man Who Was Made 
King 

XV 



ALONG, long time ago there was a young 
man who set out with a servant to find 
some asses that had strayed away from his 
father. They could not find them, and made 
up their minds to go and ask a good man and 
minister in a certain town, if he could help 
them in any way. When they got to the 
place where they heard the minister was 
staying, and had met him, the minister did 
not seem surprised to see them, but told 
them the asses were found, and that they 
must go with him to a feast just ready, and 
then next day they should go home. Now the 
Lord had spoken softly to the minister before 
this, and told him "in his ear" that he would 
send him at this time the man who was 
to be the king over the people who had asked 
for a king. So the minister said to this young 
man, "The wishes of all the people are set 
upon you." The young man was much 

55 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

surprised, and said, "My family is the small- 
est, and worth the least, of all in the land. 
Why do you speak so to me?" But the 
minister took him to the feast and said to 
the cook, "Bring the part that I told you 
to set away," and when the cook brought 
the best part it was set before the stranger, 
for the minister said, "I had this kept for 
you from the time I invited the people." 
So they ate together. The minister, you see, 
was one of those to whom God told things 
beforehand. Such were called prophets. 

Next day, just as the light was breaking, 
the minister called the traveler and went 
part way with him on his journey home. As 
they went — the gray old minister and the 
tall, strong young man (he was very tall 
indeed, and strong) — the two talked together. 
The minister sent the servant on before, and 
then when they two were by themselves, 
he poured some sacred oil on the young 
man's head, to show that God set him apart 
to be king, and told him how God's Spirit 
should come into his heart to teach and help 
him as he went his way. 

Reaching home, the tall young man told 
that he had heard from the minister that the 
asses were found, but said nothing more. 

56 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

By and by the minister called the people 
together to show them the one God had 
chosen to rule over them and lead them to 
battle. But when they looked for this young 
man, behold, he was hidden among the stuff. 
At last they brought him out, and he was 
head and shoulders taller than anybody. 
The minister said, "See him, that there is 
none like him among all the people." And 
they all shouted and said, "God save the 
king." What was his name? What was the 
name of the minister or prophet who anointed 
him king? 



57 



WHO WAS IT? 
A Young Giant Killer 

XVI 

ONCE upon a time there was a young 
shepherd boy who kept his father's 
flock of sheep and sang sweet songs as he 
watched them. Three of the young shepherd's 
brothers had gone to war with their king, to 
fight against the enemies of their people. 

One day the father called his youngest 
son from his work and said, "Take these ten 
loaves and ten cheeses and this parched 
corn, and run to the camp of your brothers 
and give the cheeses to their captain and see 
how your brothers are." Early in the morning 
the shepherd boy rose up, left the sheep with 
a keeper, and went on his errand to the sol- 
diers' camp. 

He found his brothers and asked them how 
they did. As he talked with them a great 
giant came stalking out from the camp of the 
enemy, and cried out to the king and his 
army, "Give me a man, that we may fight 
together. If he kill me we will be your ser- 

58 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

vants; if I kill him you shall be our ser- 
vants." Then the soldiers who heard the 
great giant speak ran from him, for they 
were terribly frightened. No one dared fight 
the big giant, whose clothes were covered 
with brass and his head with a brass cap, 
so that nothing could hurt him. 

Then the soldiers said to the shepherd, 
"Have you seen this man? The king will 
give great riches to the one who kills him." 
The shepherd boy was so interested about 
it that they took him before the king, and 
he said to the king, "Let no one be afraid. 
I will fight the giant." The king said, "You 
are too young, and are not able." The boy 
then told how God had been with him as he 
watched his sheep, and had given him strength 
to kill a lion and a bear who came to take 
each a lamb from the flock. 

At last the king said the shepherd might 
fight the giant, and gave him his sword and 
other things, that he might fight better. 
These things were too heavy, and the boy was 
not used to them, so he took them all off and 
went down to the brook. There he chose 
five smooth stones, and put them in his 
shepherd's bag. He had a sling with him, 
and then he was ready. 



59 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

The great giant laughed at the boy when 
he saw him coming, and said, "Come, and I 
will kill you and give your flesh to the birds 
to eat." But the shepherd boy said, "I am 
come in the name of God. He will give you 
into my hand, that all may know that there 
is a true God in the land." Then he put a 
stone in his sling and slung it, and it struck 
the giant in the forehead, so that he fell to 
the ground. The brave shepherd boy then 
ran and finished killing him with his own big 
sword — this wicked giant who had talked 
so proudly against the true God and God's 
people. 

When the heathen army saw that the Giant 
was dead they turned and ran, and the king's 
army ran after them and scattered them and 
took what was in their tents. Then the young 
giant-killer was brought before the king. 
Who was he? What was the king's name? 
What was the name of the giant? 



60 



WHO WAS IT? 
A Royal Temple Builder 

XVII 

IN a country far away there lived, long, 
long ago, a great, rich, and wise king. 
His father, the king before him, had been 
a great soldier, but when this baby boy was 
born he was called by a name that meant 
"peaceable," for the father knew that the 
son should not lead in great wars, but should 
do works of peace. The father had longed 
to do a certain thing which he was not 
allowed to do, but a promise was given him 
that this son should carry out the plan in 
time of peace, which the fighting king was 
kept from doing. When the time came the 
young man with the peaceful name was 
crowned king with great rejoicings. He was 
asked what great thing he would like to have 
above everything else, and he chose wisdom 
instead of money and power, and God made 
him the wisest man that the world had ever 
known.- He knew about beasts and birds 
and fishes, about trees and flowers, and talked 



61 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

of them all. He spoke three thousand wise 
sayings, and his songs were "a thousand and 
five." God also gave him great riches, and 
he gathered gold and silver very much, and 
precious jewels. At last he began to do what 
his father had longed to do. He began to 
build a wonderful temple. This was to be a 
house of prayer for the Lord God, and was to 
be the most beautiful building ever seen. 
The wood used in it was the finest that grew, 
and the royal builder sent thirty thousand 
men far away to mountains where grew the 
fir and cedar, to cut this precious wood. 
Great stones were cut and squared and 
polished and made ready far away, and then 
brought and put in their places without a 
sound of ax or saw. It took over three thou- 
sand men just to look after the workmen that 
were doing these wonderful things as the 
house went up. It took seven years to build 
the great and beautiful temple, all of white 
marble, costly wood and silver, with shining 
jewels and richly embroidered curtains. 
When it was done it was wonderful to behold. 
The whole house was covered over with 
gold, and there were carvings of lilies and 
fruit, and all so bright people could hardly 
look at their shining. 

62 




Who is the Gleaner?* 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

Then this royal builder called the people 
together to offer the temple to God and to 
pray, and a great cloud of glory filled the 
house, and God said he would dwell there 
and hear and answer prayer. Who was this 
temple builder? 



63 



WHO WAS IT? 

A Woman Who Traveled Far to Ask 
Questions 

XVIII 

LONG and long ago, and very far away in 
an Eastern land lived a woman that 
you would call "a great lady." She was 
immensely rich, and had servants and ser- 
vants to wait upon her, while all the people 
of the land had to do her bidding, for she 
was "the first lady" among them all, and 
above them all in power. She had gold and 
jewels and rich robes, and a table loaded with 
good things every day. But with all this 
splendor she had not an easy mind, and this 
was one thing which her servants could not 
give her. As she sat among all her beautiful 
things she thought and thought about things 
that she could not understand, and wondered 
where she could get the answers to all the 
questions that kept coming into her mind. 
She must have known something about the 
true God, for it seemed that she wished to 
know more about Him. Wise as she was she 



64 




What Story does the Picture Tell? 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

longed to talk with some one much wiser. 
But where should she go? At last she heard 
of a king, far off, who was the wisest of men. 
They said that there was nothing this king 
did not understand. Perhaps his ships came 
to her land for gold, and the sailors told the 
story of their master's wisdom. Nobody 
knows quite how she heard it, but at once 
this great lady made up her mind to go and 
see the wise king. She was so anxious to 
have her questions answered, and the things 
that troubled her explained, that she did not 
mind the long journey; so off she started, 
after making great preparations. The only 
way she could go was on a camel's back, but 
she did not travel alone that long, dangerous 
way, you may be sure. She took many people 
with her, and a great train of camels loaded 
with sweet-smelling gums and spices and 
rich woods, and gold "very much," with 
sparkling jewels fit for a king's crown. She 
meant all these riches for a present, when 
she should find the king. On and on went 
this great procession, till at last the journey's 
end was reached. It must have made a 
stir in the city, when all those camels stopped 
before the palace door. Then came the 
hard questions. The king who had prayed 

65 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

to God for wisdom, and had received it, was 
able to tell his visitor all she wished to know. 
No questions were too hard. How the traveler 
praised the king for all his wisdom and great- 
ness! How astonished she was to see the 
palace and the temple of God, and how happy 
she thought the servants and all the people! 
She said, "I couldn't have believed it if I 
had not come to see it all, but it was true, 
what I heard, and the half was not told me." 
The king gave his visitor great presents in 
return for hers, and she returned to her own 
land. Who was she? 



66 



WHO WAS IT? 
The Man Whom the Ravens Fed 

XIX 

YOU may not like rainy days that keep 
you from outdoor play, but think of 
having no rain at all! How dry and dead all 
living things that grow would soon become. 
There was a time, long ago, when it did not 
rain upon the earth for more than three 
years. It was in the days of a wicked king 
who prayed to idols, and led his people to do 
the same. Suddenly a tall, strong man stood 
before the king, a man in rough clothes, who 
came from the hills, and told him that there 
should be neither dew nor rain in all the years, 
except as he spoke the word. The Lord sent 
this messenger to the king. Then he told 
the messenger to go and hide himself beside 
a brook. The wicked king hated the good 
man and would have been glad to kill him. 
He would have been glad had the messenger 
starved in the famine that came upon the 
land all thirsty for rain. But no harm could 
come to the one whom the Lord hid away. 

67 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

Away off toward a flowing river there was a 
running brook in a lonely place where no man 
lived. No one came to drink of this brook, 
and there the brave messenger was safely 
hidden. Although there was no rain the 
brook flowed on, and the good man drank of 
the cool water, and rested under the trees 
and thought of God, and listened for his 
words in his heart, and learned his lessons 
out there under the quiet sky beside the 
running water. But what did he have to 
eat? Bread and meat. How often? Bread 
and meat in the morning, and bread and meat 
in the evening! Who brought it, when no 
man knew the way to this secret hiding- 
place? The flying birds brought it, the black 
ravens of the air. How did they know? 
God sent them and taught them. They 
loved such things themselves — why did they 
not eat the bread and meat? God kept them 
from that. The food was for his messenger. 
Do you suppose the man ever wondered 
whether the food would come, or if it would 
come both morning and night? It never 
failed. Do you know why? The ravens 
could not have told, but you know. By and 
by the brook grew smaller, and at last it 
dried up. God had another way to care for 

68 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

his messenger. He sent him now to a widow 
outside a city gate gathering sticks to make 
the last meal in the barrel into cakes for 
herself and son. "Make me one first," 
said the messenger of God, and she did. And 
for a full year there was meal each day in 
the barrel and oil in the oil-jar, and the three 
had enough to eat; and there was water for 
them too, until the time came for it to rain 
upon the earth. Who was the man the ravens 
fed? Where lived the widow with her son, 
who made him first a little cake out of a 
handful of meal? 



69 



WHO WAS IT? 

A Captain Who Listened to a Message 
From a Little Maid 

XX 

LONG, LONG AGO, when there were 
many wars, and men, women, and 
children used to be carried off as slaves by 
the soldiers who beat in battle, a little girl 
was taken in this way from her home in the 
land of Israel. A great captain in the enemy's 
army took her home to wait on his wife. 

It was very hard for the little maid to be 
carried so far from home and friends. I 
dare say she cried softly over it more than 
once. But she knew about the true God and 
his ministers, and though now in a heathen 
land, she did not forget what she had learned 
at home. 

Now, the great captain, the maid's master, 
was a mighty man, brave and honorable, 
and in great favor with the king, but he had 
a dreadful disease which no doctor could 
cure. He could still go about, but he knew 
that he could never be well. The little girl 

70 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

who waited on his wife was sorry for the 
captain, though he had taken her from her 
home. She knew how he could be made well. 
Should she tell it? At last she could keep 
the message no longer, and she said to her 
mistress that she wished her master could go 
to the good prophet in Samaria, for he could 
make him well. Somebody went and told 
the captain the girl's words. Surely she 
must have been in the habit of telling the 
truth, or no one would have listened to her, 
nor have told what she said. Not only the 
captain but the king seemed to think this 
message worth listening to, and the king at 
last sent the captain away off to Samaria, 
with a great company with him, and six 
thousand pieces of gold, besides much silver 
and many beautiful garments. But he 
thought, of course, the king of the country 
was the one to know and do everything, so 
he wrote a letter to him and sent the captain 
to him with it. The king was very angry. 
He did not think anything about the prophet 
who did such wonderful things. He supposed 
this heathen king wished to quarrel with him, 
and asked something impossible so as to make 
an excuse to fight. He tore his clothes and 
said, "Does this man think I am God, to 



71 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

kill and to make alive?" But the prophet 
heard the story and sent for the captain to 
come to him. Before the prophet's door the 
great captain soon stopped his chariot, 
thinking he would come out and make a great 
fuss over him. The prophet did not come 
out at all, but sent his servant to say, "Wash 
in Jordan seven times, and you shall be well. " 
The captain said he had better rivers at 
home to wash in, and went away in a rage. 
But his servants coaxed him to try this 
little thing; and when he did, he was made 
well and his flesh was fair as a little child's. 
The prophet would not take pay, but the 
captain went home to worship God. What 
was his name? 



72 



WHO WAS IT? 
A Boy King 

XXI 

THINK of a real, live king only eight 
years old! Long ago and far away 
lived this king who was set upon a throne 
when as young as this. When he had been 
ruler over his people going on eighteen years, 
he began to think one day about the house 
of God, which was badly broken down and 
in need of a good cleaning and mending up. 
A messenger was called and sent to the chief 
minister of all, to say to him, " Count the 
money brought in, and give it to the carpen- 
ters, builders, and those that buy wood and 
stone, and let them make God's house all 
fair and whole again. " So the workmen were 
called and told what to do, and were so 
honest that they did not need to be watched. 
But one day while the clearing up was going 
on the chief minister found somewhere a 
wonderful book. It had in it the law of God. 
"I have found the book of the law," said 
the chief minister to the writing man. 

73 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

This man read it and brought it to the young 
king, saying, "The money has been gathered 
and given out, and the workmen are going on 
well, and here is a book the chief minister 
found and gave me." So he read it before 
the king. Now, when the king heard the 
words of God, and knew that he and his 
people had not been doing as the Lord said, 
he felt so sorry and troubled that he tore his 
robe to show his grief, for this was the way 
they did in those days. "Do go and get 
somebody to ask the Lord what we shall do, " 
the king said, "for we have not been keeping 
this law." There was a good woman there 
in the city who lived near to God. He made 
her understand the meaning of His words, 
and gave her messages for His people. To 
her this matter was taken, and she asked 
God, listening to hear what He would say. 
Afterward she said, "Thus saith the Lord, 
go and tell those who sent you that God will 
punish those who disobey, but tell the king 
who sent to know my will, and who is sorry for 
his wrongdoing, that I have heard him and 
will bless him." So they brought the king 
word again, and he sent and gathered the 
people together to listen to the lost book that 
was found. Then he made them put away 

74 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

their idols and stop doing wickedly and said 
to them all, " You must keep the feast which 
God has commanded in this book." It was 
a solemn feast, when a lamb was killed to 
remind them of the time when the houses of 
God's people, with blood-sprinkled doors, 
were passed over by the death angel who came 
to punish their enemies. Now there was 
never such a wonderful keeping of this feast 
before these days, nor since. Who was the 
king? 



75 



WHO WAS IT? 

A Prophet in the Prison Pit 

XXII 

ONCE upon a time, in a land far off, was 
born a baby boy that God meant 
should be a messenger for him. From the 
beginning the Heavenly Father made this 
child good and wise, and when he was yet 
young God said to him: "I have made you a 
prophet unto the people." A prophet is a 
teacher, a messenger, sent to tell and to 
explain God's word, and to tell before it 
comes what will happen. In those days the 
whole Bible was not written, and God sent 
prophets to speak for him to the people. 
This young man thought he could not do this, 
but God said, " Don't be afraid; I am with 
you." This made him brave, but he had 
such sad messages to give that they often 
made him weep, and his heart was troubled. 
For God's people were not doing right, and 
the holy city with its beautiful house of 
prayer was full of trouble because of the 
sins of those who lived there. This prophet, 

76 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

or teacher, with the sad, loving heart and 
weeping eyes, spoke the message as God gave 
it, and told the people of the punishments 
to come, but they would not listen nor 
change their ways. Instead, they were very 
angry at the man who spoke to them. Some 
heathen people, strong and mighty, were 
coming against the city to take it and carry 
away those in it. The prophet said boldly 
that this was to be so, and those who heard 
said, "It will not be so." One time when 
there was a good chance, the prophet thought 
he would leave the city, but when he was 
passing the gate a man took him and said, 
"You are going to join the enemy's soldiers, 
I know you are." "It is not true," said 
God's prophet; but the man would not listen, 
and hurried him off to the princes or great 
men, who were very angry at the story, and 
beat the good man and put him in prison, 
where he stayed many days. 

The king of the country was afraid the 
prophet might be right after all, and came 
by himself to ask if there was any word from 
the Lord. "Yes," said the prophet, "there 
is. You are to be given into the hand of your 
enemy. But what have I done? Don't 
send me back to prison lest I die. " The king 

77 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

said he should be kept in a better place, and 
bread from the baker's street given him. 
But again the people grew angry with the 
prophet, saying, "He says things that dis- 
courage the others." So they got him cast 
into the prison pit, a place underground, so 
muddy that the good man's feet sank in the 
mire. Then a friend said to the king: "They 
have done evil. The prophet will starve to 
death in that hole." "Take thirty men and 
get him up," was the order. The friend did 
so. They drew him up with cords. The city 
was taken, but finally the prophet was set 
free. Who was he? 



78 



WHO WAS IT? 

The President Punished for Praying 

XXIII 

ONCE upon a time there was a boy carried 
away by soldiers from his own country. 
The king of the strange land was pleased 
with him because he was handsome, good, and 
bright, and took him into the palace to serve 
him. Through the time of other kings that 
came after, this young man was in great 
favor, because he knew so much, and because 
God made him wise to tell people the meaning 
of strange dreams. At last, under one of 
the kings, this man was made president. 
There were three presidents, and he was the 
first of the three. The presidents looked after 
one hundred and twenty princes whose busi- 
ness it was to look after matters in the king- 
dom, under the king. The man from the far 
country was so much wiser and better than the 
rest, and was in such high favor with the king, 
that the second and third presidents and the 
hundred and twenty princes hated him. They 
could not bear to have another praised more 

79 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

than they were, and made up their minds 
to bring him into trouble somehow. But 
this was hard to do. The first president did 
his duty so well, and was always so faithful 
and good, and loyal to the king, that the 
presidents and princes, watch as they might, 
could find nothing against him about which 
they could tell tales. They talked it over 
and said: "We shall never find anything 
against him unless it is something about his 
religion. He worships another God, and is 
very careful to keep His laws. We will find 
some fault with him for this, and get him 
punished." So they said to the king: "We 
have planned a way to honor you above 
every one. Please make a law that nobody 
shall ask anything of any one except the great 
king, for thirty days, and if any man does, 
he shall be cast into the den of lions." The 
king was proud of this, and signed the law. 
But the first president was so brave that he 
was afraid of but one thing, and that was 
doing wrong. He always prayed to God three 
times a day with his windows open, not 
ashamed of anything, and now he did it just 
the same. Of course he was caught, and 
his enemies made the king punish him for 
praying to God instead of to the man on the 

80 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

throne. The king was very sorry indeed, 
angry at himself and at the men, but he had 
to keep the law. He couldn't sleep all night, 
and early in the morning hastened to the 
lion's den and called to know if the man was 
safe. He had said, " Your God will save you, " 
but after all he wasn't sure, for he was a 
heathen. How happy he was to hear a voice, 
clear and strong, calling, "My God hath 
sent His angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths 
that they have not hurt me." Who was this 
brave man? 



81 



WHO WAS IT? 

The Man in the Camel's-Hair Coat 

XXIV 

ONCE upon a time, and far away, lived 
two good people, a man and his wife, 
who loved and pleased God and were happy 
together, but there was no little child in their 
home. The man was a priest; and one day, 
in God's house as he prayed and made his 
offering, an angel stood before him and told 
him that God would by and by give him a 
little son. It seemed too strange and glad 
to be true, and the priest said, "How shall 
I know this?" The angel said that because 
he had not believed God's message fully he 
should be dumb, and not able to speak till 
after the baby came, and this should be a 
sign to him that God meant what He 
said. 

The people wondered why the priest stayed 
so long in the temple, but when he came out 
he could not tell them, for he could not 
speak. Time went on, till the precious baby 
came of whom the angel had told such 

82 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

wonderful things. When the happy father 
and mother were ready to give him his 
name, the neighbors said, "Call him after 
his father." The mother said, "No," and 
gave another name. They said, "You have 
no relations by this name," and they made 
signs to the father to say what he would have 
the wee baby called. He got them to bring 
a writing table, and wrote down, "His name 
is — " the same the mother had said. Then, 
while they were all wondering, the father's 
speech was given him again and he praised 
God. He said to his little son, "Thou, child, 
shalt be the prophet of the Highest; for thou 
shalt go before the Lord to prepare His ways." 
In olden days a man used to run before the 
king to cry, "He is coming. Make ready the 
way!" So, as the angel had told before, this 
baby was to grow up and be the one to tell 
people that Jesus was coming, and they must 
be ready for Him. 

"And the child grew, and waxed strong in 
spirit, and was in the deserts." He never 
touched wine or strong drink, this brave, 
wonderful man, and lived in a very simple 
way. He wore a coat of camel's hair, very 
rough and coarse, with a leather belt around 
his waist. He ate wild honey from the rocks, 

83 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

and the locusts, which were a sort that people 
used for food in those days. 

At last this man in the desert began to 
tell people that Jesus was coming, and they 
must get their hearts ready for him by giving 
up their sins. Many went to listen to this 
earnest preacher in rough clothes, not like 
any of the priests of that day, but crying 
out the message with all his heart. Hundreds 
went to hear him and were baptized, saying 
they were sorry for their sins, — so getting 
ready for Jesus. Who was this preacher? 



84 



WHO WAS IT? 
The Baby Saved from a Cruel King 

XXV 

MANY hundred years ago there came a 
Little Child to this world, more 
wonderful than any seen before. He looked 
much like other babies, except for being 
sweeter, perhaps, and He was always good. 
He was born in a very poor place indeed, 
because His parents were poor, and the town 
was too crowded to make room for them. 
No one of all the crowd knew who the Child 
was, except some men out of doors who heard 
the news sung by a choir of sweet voices, and 
hurried to the place to find Him. Afterwards, 
some men from far off followed a light which 
led to the lowly house where He was. They 
stopped on the way in a larger city to find 
out if the king knew about the Wonderful 
Child. He knew nothing, but found some 
who did, and they said it had been written 
down in a Book long ages before, where He 
should be born. When the travelers heard 
the name of the place they journeyed on to 

85 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

find it, and the light shone again and led 
them. But they left the king in great 
trouble. These pilgrims had asked, " Where 
is He that shall be born King?" The man on 
the throne did not like this. He could not 
bear to think of any other in his place. He 
made up his mind that he would kill this 
Baby King at once. But he made believe 
that he also wished to worship him, and said 
to the travelers, " When you find Him, come 
back this way and tell me, so that I can bow 
before Him too." And all the while he meant 
to kill Him if he could find him. God in 
heaven was watching the Young Child in his 
fair young mother's arms. He spoke to the 
travelers to go home another way. So they 
did, and the king in the big city never saw 
them again. Then God spoke to the parents 
of the Baby and said, "Rise, and take the 
Young Child and go to Egypt, for the king 
will try to kill Him." In the night they all 
set out for the far-away country where the 
wicked king could not find the Child. He 
tried to make sure of taking His life by putting 
to death all the boy babies in the place 
younger than three years of age, but the most 
precious Child of all was not there. At last 
the king died and left his throne. Then 

86 




Name These Three 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

word came to Egypt, "Go back, for those who 
wished to kill the Child are dead." Again 
the journey was taken, and the Child brought 
back. For fear that the man who was king 
now instead of the other might wish to do him 
harm, they carried the Boy to another place, 
and there the father had a carpenter shop 
for many years. Who was the Young Child? 
What was the name of the cruel king? 



87 



WHO WAS IT? 
A Tax Collector Who Left His Business 

XXVI 

/^\NCE upon a time there was a man who 
^S made his living by collecting taxes. The 
money that a man has to pay because he owns 
land is called a tax. In a city there must be a 
mayor and policemen and firemen, and these 
are all paid by sums of money given by those 
who own houses and lots. The owners cannot 
say what taxes they will pay, but must give 
what their rulers ask. When this man lived 
it was thought to be a disgrace to collect 
taxes, because the country was then under 
strange rulers who cared more for getting 
money from the people than anything else, and 
took much more than was fair. There was 
a great deal of cheating and stealing among the 
the tax collectors, and when this particular 
one went to his place of business those who 
saw him hated him. They thought he was 
not honest, and that, as he was one of the 
people of the land, he could not love his 
country if he was willing to work for the 

88 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

strange rulers who came from far away, and 
by cruel war made the land theirs. But 
this tax collector did not care what people 
thought. He was getting rich and pleasing 
himself, and thought little about the rest. 

One day this man went to his place of 
business, as he had many other times, not 
knowing that it was to be the strangest and 
greatest day of his life, and the last he was 
to spend taking money from the people. 
As he sat in the place where folks came to 
pay their taxes a Great Teacher passed by. 
He had no church or pulpit of His own, and 
most of the time he taught out of doors. 
The seaside was the place on this day, and 
very many people followed after Him, lis- 
tening to His words. For this Teacher 
taught as never any man did before, and 
those who heard Him wondered at His words 
and longed to hear more. So they followed 
Him about in crowds. Although there were 
so many pressing on every side, this Teacher 
saw the tax collector in his place, and knew 
that if he gave up that business he would 
make a good helper. He stopped and said 
to the man, " Follow Me." There was such 
love and such power in the Teacher's voice 
that the man could not keep on with his work. 

89 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

He gave up his business at once and followed 
this new Master. He loved Him so much that 
he invited the Teacher to his house for a great 
feast, and asked many of his old friends to 
meet Him. This displeased some people, 
who complained that the Teacher was eating 
with sinful people. But He said He came to 
get just such to follow Him and do better. 
The man who invited Him followed Him ever 
after, and'afterward wrote a book about Him. 
What was this man's name and the name 
of his book? 



90 



WHO WAS IT? 

A Teacher Who Went to be Taught 

XXVII 

IT was a strange and wonderful time in an 
old city long ago. A new Teacher had 
come who set everybody to wondering, for 
no man in the world had ever spoken as this 
one did. In the house of prayer, inside and 
outside the city, the Stranger preached and 
taught and did most wonderful works. Now 
among those who heard the Stranger and 
heard of Him was a man that was a teacher 
of the people himself. He had read and 
studied the law of God and many books of 
men, and seemed to be very wise. But at 
this time he began to feel that he did not 
understand everything, for this new Teacher 
said many things which puzzled him. He was 
very anxious to know exactly who the 
Stranger was, and to know more about His 
teachings. So, being really a wise man in 
many ways, he took the best plan in the world 
to find out — he went to the Great Teacher 
Himself to ask what he wished to know. He 



91 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

chose a quiet time when he could have a 
chance to talk without a great crowd around, 
for indeed the Stranger must have been busy 
all day, not only teaching, but healing people, 
for He had great power. This man who wished 
to know more went in the night to ask his 
questions. After the two had met and spoken 
to each other the teacher who wished to 
learn said, " Teacher, we know you could 
not do the wonderful things you do here if 
God were not with you, so you must have 
come from God." The Master looked at 
the man and read his questions in his heart. 
Then He said, "If you wish to come into 
God's kingdom and belong to him, you must 
be made over again as a little child." This 
surprised the visitor. "I can't become a 
baby again," he said. Then the Stranger, 
who might now be called the man's new 
Friend (for He loved especially all who came 
to learn of Him), made the man understand 
that the Holy Spirit must make him over, 
so that his heart would be like the heart of a 
child, as simple, as trusting, lowly, and 
loving. The Great Teacher showed him by 
words a picture of a camp of people dying from 
serpent bites, and a brass serpent lifted up, 
that whoever looked might be healed. This 

92 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

was like the look of trust and love that was 
needed to make a man well of sin, but he 
must look to God's Son to do all for him. The 
man went away after his lesson. Again we 
hear of him standing up for the Great 
Teacher when others wished to kill Him. 
After the Master was indeed put to death 
by His enemies, this friend, who was rich, with 
another rich man made ready the dead body 
for the tomb. The teacher, who had come 
by night, brought a hundred pounds of sweet 
spices for the body. Who was he? 



93 



WHO WAS IT? 
The Loving Father of a Little Sick Girl 

XXVIII 

ONCE upon a time the Greatest Doctor 
in the world went in a boat across a 
lake. Strangely enough, the people did not 
want Him there. They thought it was too 
hard to give up what they were asked, and 
the Greatest Doctor came back to the place 
where all were glad to see Him, "for they 
were all waiting for Him." Very soon a man 
came hurrying up and threw himself down 
at the feet of the Greatest Doctor in the world. 
It showed that he wanted something very 
much. Looking up into the kind face, this 
man said: " My little daughter is so sick that 
she is just at the point of death. Do come 
and just put your hand on her, and she shall 
live." This man had a high place in the 
church and was called a ruler. He had a 
good home, and enough money, and much to 
please him, but he thought only of his child 
now — his little girl at home, just ready to 
die, the darling that he loved so much. "I 

94 




Whose Daughter is This? 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

have only one," he said, with a voice full of 
love and sorrow. The Greatest Doctor knew 
just how the poor father felt, and turned 
at once to go home with him. On the way 
a poor woman came in the crowd and touched 
His clothes, that she might be made well, and 
the Doctor stopped to talk with her and sent 
her away well and happy. This took time, 
and the poor father hurrying on before was 
met by some servants from his house who 
said, "The little girl is dead. There is no use 
now in troubling the Great Doctor." 

As soon as the Doctor heard these words 
and saw how sorry the father was, He said 
kindly: "Don't be afraid. Just believe." 
So they all went on together. At the house 
they found people crying aloud because the 
little girl was dead. The Greatest Doctor 
said, "She is only asleep," but the visitors 
laughed at that. They were soon put out 
of the house, and only the father and mother 
and the Doctor's three best friends were in 
the room when He took the child's hand and 
said, "Darling, rise." How they all listened, 
holding their breath. And the little daughter 
rose at once, and walked about, for she was 
twelve years old. Instead of being weak 
from her pain, she was strong and well. But 

95 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

the Greatest Doctor never forgot anything, 
He knew she must be hungry, and He said 
gently, "Give her something to eat." How 
they hurried about to get it, with hearts full 
of joy. They were all so astonished that they 
could hardly speak, and looked in wonder at 
the little girl, and at the One who had called 
her back to life. I wonder if she did not run 
first to Him, and what the father said. 
What was this father's name? Who was the 
Great Physician? 



96 



WHO WAS IT? 
The Man Who Walked on the Water 

XXIX 

TN a far-away country, lying toward the 
-* sunrise, there is a beautiful blue sea. 
The ships that used to float upon the spark- 
ling water are gone now, but once upon a time, 
long, long ago, there were many of these, and 
men went in them from one shore to the other. 
Often and often, in those days, a Great 
Teacher, with His followers, walked beside 
the sea and taught the people on the shore. 
One day there had been much for them all 
to do, for the people crowded around, and 
had to be not only taught, but fed and com- 
forted, and then sent away home. They 
were all very tired, and evening was coming 
on. The Great Teacher told His followers 
to get into a small ship and cross over to the 
other side of the sea, while He sent the people 
quietly away. The men did as they were 
told, and sailed away over the blue water. 
But when they were in the midst of the sea, 
and the farther shore seemed very far, a 

97 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

sudden storm came on. The day was gone, 
and in the dark, the wind rushed upon the 
little ship and tossed it like an eggshell upon 
the rough waves. Alone in the storm, wet 
with the dashing waves, frightened in the dark, 
the men longed for their Master. They were 
not used to being without Him. Oh, why had 
He sent them out by themselves ? He could 
do everything, and if He were only there 
how glad they would be. But still the wind 
roared and tossed the ship, and the angry 
waves tried to swallow it, while time passed 
on, and morning came nearer. 

But see! What is that strange sight be- 
tween them and the shore they left at evening ? 
What dark form is that? He has no boat 
but He is coming closer. He walks upon the 
stormy water and does not sink. Hear the 
men cry out for fear! They think it must 
be a ghost coming to them. Oh, if the Master 
were only there! Hark! There is a Voice 
speaking gently, but the wind cannot drown 
it: "It is I; be not afraid." Why, they 
know that Voice, surely. There is one 
among them who is always first to speak, 
always in a hurry to do things. He thinks 
he knows his Teacher's voice, and cries out, 
"If it is you, tell me to come on the water." 

98 




Who cried, "Save Me"? 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

"Come," says the Voice, and the man hurries 
over the side of the ship and walks on the 
water too. Suddenly he looks around. How 
dark and windy it is ! He forgets to look|at 
his Master and begins to sink. The Master 
hears his cry, "Save me," and puts out His 
hand to catch him, taking him safely into the 
ship, saying, "Why didn't you trust me?" 
Who was the man? Who was his Master?" 



99 



WHO WAS IT? 

A Good Housekeeper and Her Company 

XXX 

ONG ago in a pleasant home on a hillside 
■*— ' lived a happy family. The one who 
did most of the housekeeping was a very 
good woman. She liked to have things neat 
and comfortable, and she knew how to keep 
them so. She was a busy sort of a person 
who always seemed to find plenty to do, and 
she had a kind heart that loved to make her 
friends comfortable. The housekeeper had 
a sister and a brother whom she dearly loved. 
The sister was rather a quiet person, who 
liked to be still and think pleasant thoughts, 
and was anxious to learn all she could. This 
home was pleasant to visit because it was 
quiet and peaceful, and there was so much 
love there, and friends were made welcome. 

One day company came to this house, and 
a glad day it was. It was the Best Friend 
who came, and who so welcome as He? He 
often came there to rest, for He was a great 
traveler. Indeed He had no home of His own 

100 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

at all, and it was good to have this place to 
visit whenever He would, and to be sure that 
all the family would be glad to see Him when- 
ever He could spare time to come; for He was 
very busy going about doing good and help- 
ing people. Now, He was here to-day, the 
family's Best Friend, and the housekeeper 
thought nothing was too good for Him, and 
too much could not be done. So she bustled 
about, getting as good a supper as she could. 
She thought of so many things and planned 
so much, that it made a great deal to do for 
one person. By and by, as she hurried about, 
the housekeeper got tired, and she felt 
troubled about her work. Why did not her 
sister come and help her? Surely she too 
was glad to see the Best Friend. Why did 
she not try to do something for Him ? She 
looked around and there sat her sister at the 
Visitor's feet, listening to Him as he talked. 
She did not seem to remember that supper 
was to be made ready, nor to think of any- 
thing but the words she heard. The busy, 
tired woman thought this was not fair, and 
she said to the Best Friend, " Don't you care 
that my sister has left me to work alone? 
Do tell her to help me." But the kind and 
wise Friend said, "You are troubled about 

101 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

many things, but there is but one that is 
really needful. Your sister has chosen the 
best part in listening to me and learning all 
she can." And then I am sure that He gave 
a loving look at the tired housekeeper, who 
was trying to show her love by doing a great 
deal, and at the sister who showed hers by 
listening to what He had to say and learning 
sweet lessons at His feet. Who was the busy 
woman? 



102 



WHO WAS IT? 
A Lowly Learner 

XXXI 

THERE was once, long ago, a young 
woman who lived in a comfortable home 
in a quiet little town, far, far away. This 
village was on the side of a hill where grew 
the olive trees which people thought much of 
in those days. It must have looked as if 
the houses were climbing up hill, for the town 
was but a mile from the top. Not far away 
was a great city, with high, thick walls, and 
in it a beautiful temple, the fairest building 
in all the land. The home of this young 
woman was a very happy one, though every- 
thing in it was very simple and plain. There 
were no wonderful days filled with feasting 
and company, but every day was pleasant, 
because there was love in this house. The 
three people who lived there, two sisters and 
a brother, had grown up together and cared 
much for one another. There must have been 
peace in this house, and great kindness and 
love, or the people would not have had the 

103 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

Guest who loved to come there. This guest 
was a Traveler who had many kind errands 
to do up and down the country, and He was a 
Teacher, very wise indeed, who must go 
about helping others to know the best thing. 
There was nothing which this Teacher did 
not know, and He always was willing to help 
those who wished to learn of Him. He had 
no home of His own, this wonderful Friend. 
Indeed, He often slept out of doors under the 
olive trees upon the hill where lay the quiet 
village. But in this home of the three there 
was always a welcome for Him, and when He 
was tired He loved to come to the peaceful 
place and rest with His friends, who were al- 
ways so glad to see Him. The youngest 
sister in this home, the one I am telling you 
about, was a quiet girl who loved to think and 
to learn. She loved the Guest very dearly 
and wished to have Him teach her, for she 
felt that she knew very little, and He was so 
wise. The sister had a warm, loving heart, 
too, and was always glad to have the Guest 
come. She would bustle about and make 
Him as comfortable as she could. She seemed 
to be always busy. 

One day the dear Visitor came walking 
over the hill to the home in the village. As 

104 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

soon as He was made comfortable, the older 
sister hurried to get the best supper she could, 
but the younger one longed to hear the Teacher 
talk. She took a low place at His feet, for 
she was a lowly learner, and looking into His 
kind face, she listened to His words. The 
busy sister said, "Do tell my sister to help 
me," but the Guest said, "She has chosen 
the better part that cannot be taken away"; 
and still the lowly learner sat at His feet and 
listened. Who was she? Who was the 
Guest? 



105 



WHO WAS IT? 

A Man Who Crossed the Road to Help 
Another 

XXXII 

ONCE upon a time a man set off on a 
journey to a city where palm trees 
grew. It was a beautiful, busy city, but the 
road was dangerous. There were dark caves 
and hiding-places among the rocks along 
the way, where robbers were likely to be hid 
and to jump out at any time. But this man 
had business in the city and started off bravely. 
All went well for a while, but at last in a 
lonely place the thieves fell upon him, took 
all he had, beat him, tore off his clothes, and 
ran off, leaving him half dead. The poor 
traveler was so bruised and cut that he could 
do nothing for himself, so he lay by the road- 
side in pain and distress. Now it happened 
that a priest, whose business it was to serve 
in the temple, was going down, and as he 
went along the road he looked over and saw 
the wounded man. He just looked at him, 
and passed by on the other side of the road. 

106 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

He did not seem to think it was any of his 
business. Who knew when the robbers might 
come back? He did not care to touch a 
man lying there in his blood. It was bad 
to touch blood, so he went on. Presently 
along came another man. This was a 
member of the family whose father was called 
Levi. His work was to help in the temple, 
too. Very likely he thought he had enough 
to do to take care of himself, and had no 
time to look after that half-dead man. 
When he was at the place he looked at him 
and passed on, along the other side of the 
way. If he had been left much longer the 
poor man must have died; but another 
traveler was on his way. He came from a 
different place from the home of the priest 
and Levite and the poor wounded man 
himself. He was called after the name of 
the country he came from, and people did not 
think much of it, nor of the people there. 
But this stranger, as soon as he saw the half- 
dead man, went right to him. He wasn't 
afraid to cross over to him and get close 
enough to help him. He bound up the bleed- 
ing wounds, gave the man medicine, and then 
set him on his own beast, while he walked 
beside him till he brought him to the place 

107 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

where travelers rested, called an inn. There 
he took care of the sick one all night, paid 
his bill, and said, as he left in the morning, 
"Innkeeper, take care of this stranger, and 
if you spend more than I have given you, I'll 
pay you when I come back this way." When 
we read of this one who was sorry enough 
to do so much for the man who was robbed, 
what do we call him? 



108 



WHO WAS IT? 

A Man Who Received a Great Gift 

XXXIII 

MANY hundred years ago there lived a 
man with a very loving heart. It 
was so big and full of love that he is still 
remembered as the loving one. This man 
had a Master whom he followed everywhere. 
The Master had other friends and followers, 
but this man was one of those who loved him 
best and followed closest. He was called 
the one the Master loved. He, with two 
others, often went with him when others 
were not invited. 

This man was not always so gentle and 
loving. At one time he was very fiery, and 
ready to punish those who did not agree 
with him. But, as he went about with the 
good Master, and learned of him, he grew 
more loving, and others could not help lov- 
ing him. The man's father was a fisherman, 
and he and his brother were fishermen too, 
but the brothers left their nets to follow the 
Master wherever He went. 

109 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

One of the most wonderful things that hap- 
pened to this man was on a mountain top, 
where he was taken, with his brother and 
another friend. There the Leader was 
changed till His face was like the sun, and 
even His clothes were white and shining. 
Some men who had long been in heaven came 
down to talk with Him, and at last a bright 
cloud covered them all, and a voice from the 
sky spoke to them. After this, these fol- 
lowers knew that their Master was a King 
as well as a man. 

But there were people who did not feel 
toward this great Leader as His followers did. 
They did not know Him so well and did not 
wish to. They hated Him because he told 
them of their sins and evil ways, and made 
up their minds to put Him out of the way if 
they could. At last these enemies took Him 
prisoner. The loving-hearted man was with 
Him at the time and followed Him. He knew 
the one before whom the Master was taken at 
first, and went in to stand beside the one he 
loved when he was abused. When it was de- 
cided to put to death the one born to be 
King, His follower went with Him to the place 
where He was to die. It was there that he 
received the great and beautiful gift which 

110 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

showed how much his Master loved and 
trusted him. 

The tender mother of the dying One stood 
near Him in that sad hour, and as her Son 
looked lovingly at her and at the man with 
the loving heart, He gave His mother to him 
to be his mother, and gave to her this man to 
be her son. It was the most precious dying 
gift that He could give. From that hour the 
man with the loving heart took the sorrowing 
mother to his own home. Who was the man ? 
Who was the mother? 



Ill 



WHO WAS IT? 
A Happy Beggar 

XXXIV 

TT is the morning hour of prayer in the 
-■■ old city far away. A man with a pray- 
ing heart is starting for the holy house of God. 
He takes a friend with him, and together they 
walk and talk along the city street. God's 
house has much ground around it. The 
walled-in places are called courts, and people 
pass in through great high gates. One of 
these is so wonderful to behold that it is 
called the Gate Beautiful. The man and his 
friend come to the beautiful gate and behold 
a beggar there, a man lame from the time he 
was a baby, never having walked at all. 
Some pitiful people carry him daily to the 
gate, and he holds out his hand and begs. 
It is the only way he has to live. He sees the 
friends and asks for help. They stop at 
once. They are very sorry for the poor fel- 
low, but they, too, are poor. Once they went 
fishing to earn money, but they have given 
this up now to go about telling of their 

112 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

Master who has gone above the skies and 
left them to tell the story. The one who 
seems to be the leader fastens his eyes on the 
beggar, saying, "Look on us." He thinks 
he is to get something, and watches and waits. 
"I have no silver or gold," says this new 
friend at the gate, "but such as I have, I give 
you. In the name of my Master, rise up 
and walk." He does not stop with the words, 
but reaches down a strong, kind, helping 
hand and lifts the man up. The man has 
never walked, remember, but he does not 
say a word about that now. That very 
minute his feet and ankle bones grow strong. 
The weakness is gone. He jumps to his feet, 
he stands, he walks ! Oh, the joy of it! Where 
shall he go first? Into the house of prayer, 
surely, to show how thankful he is. He can- 
not wait. He hurries in. He cannot go 
slowly, but leaps and runs and walks, and 
shouts his praises to the Lord God. He 
knows whose power has healed him. "And 
all the people see him walking and leaping and 
praising God." They see that it is the same 
man who lay at the beautiful gate, who never 
walked a step in his life. Everybody is 
astonished. The healed man holds his new 
friends fast, and the people run together, 

113 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

greatly wondering. But the leader of the 
two who stand there says earnestly: "Why 
do you look on us as if we did this thing by 
our own power or goodness? Our Master's 
name, through believing in his name, has 
made this man strong." So he turns their 
thoughts to the One above all, and tells them 
about Him. Who was the man that spoke 
these words beside the beautiful gate? 



114 



WHO WAS IT? 

A Woman with a Needle 

XXXV 

FAR, far away, in the Land where Jesus 
lived, is a city beside the sea. The 
name of the city is Joppa. Long ago, after 
Jesus went back to heaven, a woman who 
was a follower of Jesus, lived in that city by 
the sea. She was a very busy person indeed, 
always finding a great deal to do. She did 
no great, beautiful, wonderful things, that 
would make people stop and gaze at her, 
astonished. She did not use a brush to 
paint lovely pictures, nor a pen to write 
wonderful stories. Nobody knows whether 
she had so much as a harp in her house, on 
which her fingers could make sweet music. 

There was just one thing — a tiny thing, 
which this woman had. Every one who 
knows her name, or anything about her, 
knows what this was. It was a needle. But 
this good woman knew how to use it, and 
did use it — not all for herself, either, please 
remember. 



115 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

In the city of Joppa long ago, as it is now 
in New York and Chicago, and other places, 
there were people who could not get all that 
they needed to wear. Some who may have 
had needles did not know how to use them 
very well, and many who could use needles 
had no cloth to sew. Somebody had to help 
these poor people, if they were to have clothes 
to wear. This woman with the needle did 
not say, "Let somebody else do it"; she 
said, "I will do it." 

And so you can see why this kind woman 
was very busy. She was making coats and 
garments for the poor. Her needle was not 
allowed to be idle. But one day this friend 
to the poor was taken very sick and had to 
lay down her shining needle. She had to 
give up visiting, and many other kind deeds 
which kept her busy, for the story says that 
she was "full of good works which she did." 

The good needlewoman grew no better, and 
at last the spirit left the tired body. Then 
those who loved her laid it in an upper room, 
making everything all fresh and clean. But 
Jesus' friends in Joppa had heard that one 
of the Lord's apostles or messengers, whom 
He left to do special work for Him on earth, 
was now in Lydda, not far away. This was 

116 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

Peter, to whom, as they knew, Jesus had given 
power to do wonderful things. Could he 
call back this friend to life? They sent for 
Peter and he came at once. 

When they brought the apostle into the 
upper room, behold, there stood a company 
of poor widows crying, and showing the coats 
and garments made by this dear, kind friend 
while she was with them, and used her busy 
needle. 

Peter asked them all to go out. Alone 
with Jesus, he prayed, and then turned, and 
speaking the beloved name, he said, "Arise." 
She that was dead sat up, and, calling her 
friends, Peter showed her to them alive. 
Who was she? 



117 



WHO WAS IT? 

A Prisoner Who Was Set Free 

XXXVI 

ONG ago there was a cruel king who did 
■*— ' not in the least mind cutting off peo- 
ple's heads. He hated a wonderful preacher 
of that time because of his goodness, and he 
hated his followers too. He killed one of 
them, and because others as bad as he were 
glad of it, the king thought he would kill 
another who spent his time teaching and 
preaching what he had learned from his 
Master. So this good man was put in a 
dark prison, and sixteen soldiers set to keep 
him safe till after a certain time when the 
king meant to put him to death. It was a 
sad time for the many friends of this good man, 
who had no power themselves to help him. 
But while the prisoner was kept behind the 
thick walls, his friends held prayer meetings 
and kept praying for him day and night. 
They knew that there was One who could 
set the man free and they talked toHim about 
their friend in prison. The time came very 

118 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

near for the man to be brought out to die. 
That very night he was asleep between two 
soldiers to whom he was fastened by two 
chains, while the keepers before the door kept 
the prison. You would think that surely 
there was no way out. But there was. The 
prayer in that upper room far away was like 
a key to unlock the doors. Suddenly a light 
shone in the dark, and God's angel woke 
the sleeper by striking him on the side and 
raising him up, saying, "Arise up quickly." 
He was able to do this because that minute 
his chains fell off. "Fasten your clothes, 
put on your shoes, and throw on your cloak," 
said the angel. He wouldn't take the man 
out till he was ready and comfortable. 
"Follow me," said the angel then, and out 
went the two through opened prison doors, 
the man thinking he was in a dream. On and 
on they went through the streets, till they 
came to an iron gate leading straight into 
the city itself. Behold, the gate opened 
to them of its own accord and on they went! 
After passing along one street the angel left 
the man, knowing that he could go on by 
himself. "Now I know that God sent his 
angel to save me," the prisoner thought, and 
he hurried to the house of his friends. The 



119 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

prayer meeting was going on there when the 
man knocked. A girl came to listen and he 
called to her to open. She was so astonished 
when she knew his voice, that she ran back 
to tell the rest without letting the man in. 
They could not believe that their prayers 
were answered, but said it must be the man's 
ghost. Still he kept knocking till they let 
him in, and stretching out his hand to quiet 
them all he told them how the Lord had sent 
His angel to save him. Who was the man? 
Who was the girl doorkeeper? 



120 



WHO WERE THEY? 

Two Traveling Missionaries Who Left 
Joy Behind Them 

XXXVII 

WOULD you like to take a journey far 
away? Then come, let us go with 
two missionaries journeying far from home 
with good news to tell. 

See! They are being driven out of one 
place where they have spoken. Many have 
heard and believed their word, but some are 
angry and they stir up others, and the mis- 
sionaries are hurried roughly out of the place. 
We will follow them to another town. Here 
they stay awhile, speaking boldly and doing 
much good, but now their enemies make a 
plan to stone them, and on they go. 

Now hear them preaching in another place. 
Do you see that man listening, who seems 
unable to stand up ? Why, look. He cannot 
walk at all. Somebody says that he never 
has walked, but has been lame from the time 
he was a baby. How sad, never to be able 
to run and jump or even to walk! Some one 

121 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

must have carried him to this place to hear 
the travelers talk. He seems to listen well, 
doesn't he? 

But what is the chief one of the two mis- 
sionaries doing? He is looking straight at 
that poor cripple who has never walked. 
Hark! What is he saying to him? " Stand 
upright on thy feet." How can the man do 
that when he has never taken a step with 
those poor feet? But see there! He does 
stand right up, and more than that, he jumps 
and walks. Did you ever see any one so 
happy? How it must feel to be able to jump 
and walk when not a step had ever been taken. 
What do the people think about it? They 
do not understand it at all. They are 
heathen people in this town. They do not 
know the true God. They do not under- 
stand that the two travelers have no power 
to make a man well, but that their God has 
the power and has told them to heal the 
cripple. Hear these heathen crying out. 
What are they saying? They cry that the 
heathen gods are come down to them in the 
likeness of these strangers. They give them 
new, heathen names, after the gods; and 
now see what they are doing. Look at those 
oxen all wreathed with flowers. The men 



122 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

are bringing them to offer to the travelers, 
as they would to their gods, as sacrifices. 

Will the missionaries take presents like 
these, and let the people treat them as if 
they were idol gods? No indeed. See the 
two strangers tearing their clothes to show 
how troubled and sorry they are. Hear 
them as they rush in among the people cry- 
ing out, "Why do you do such things? We 
are men just like you, but we have come to 
tell you of the true God." It is hard to 
stop the offerings, but it is done at last. 

By and by some enemies follow the mis- 
sionaries and stir up trouble. One of them 
is stoned, but not killed, and soon on they 
go. Who are they? 



123 



WHO WAS IT? 
The Man in a Basket 

XXXVIII 

COME now, and let us go back a long way 
and a long time, and walk together 
along a great road leading to the old city of 
Damascus. See before us a man, traveling 
along as if he were in a hurry and had some- 
thing on his mind that could not be put off. 
A company of men are with him. Now we 
are near the city. See ! What is this strange 
light? It dazzles so that we cannot look 
up at all, but must shut our eyes to keep from 
being blinded. Look, now, and see if you 
can see the man who was leading that com- 
pany. He is lying on the ground. The 
men around are watching in wonder. They 
do not understand. A Voice is speaking to 
the man on the ground, but he is the only one 
who can understand the words. The man 
seems to see Some One whom no other sees, 
and to be talking with him. If we could come 
near enough to understand, we would know 
that it was Jesus who had sent the light, 

124 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

blinding the man's eyes, and whose voice asks 
why this man is fighting against him. Is 
this man fighting against Jesus? Yes. He 
has hated Him so much that he hated all who 
loved Him. He started on this journey to 
seek Christians in Damascus and kill them if 
possible. If we could hear the man's words, 
we would know that he was saying at last, 
"Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" 
And the answer is, "Go on to the city and 
it shall be told thee." 

The man goes on to Damascus, but he has 
to be led by the hand. The light has left 
him blinded. At the house of a man who 
lives in the street called Straight, the traveler 
stays three days without sight, eating 
nothing. 

Hark! There is a Voice speaking to 
another, — one of the Christians. It bids 
him go to this man, who in a sort of dream 
has seen some one coming to touch his eyes. 
"I am afraid of this man who has come to 
put Christians here to death," is the answer. 
"Go," says the Voice. "I mean to send 
him on my errands." The Christian goes, 
lays his hands on the blind eyes, says, 
"Brother"; and behold, the man sees, and 
praises God. They give him something to 

125 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

eat; he grows strong and begins to preach. 
Everybody wonders, for they say, " Isn't he 
the one who came here to kill the Christians ? " 
By and by the people who do not love Jesus 
grow angry. They do not like this earnest 
preaching. They say they will kill this 
preacher. The man hears this. Day and 
night the gates of the city are watched by 
enemies, but he has friends, too. One night 
they take him to a house by the wall and let 
him down through the window in a basket. 
He goes away safe, and lives to be the great- 
est missionary ever known. Who is he? 



126 



WHO WAS IT? 

A Shipwrecked Prisoner 

XXXIX 

ONCE upon a time there was a good mis- 
sionary who went traveling about far- 
away countries, telling good news wherever 
he went. He was in many dangers on land 
and sea, and was beaten and stoned and even 
left for dead, but he was brave and strong 
and kept on his way. At last his enemies 
caught him and sent him as a prisoner, 
guarded by soldiers, to a far country to be 
tried before a great ruler. The whole com- 
pany started in a ship which they changed 
for another going to the distant land, and 
sailed away and away. For many days they 
sailed slowly, for the wind was against them 
and it was very dangerous on the water at 
that time of year. The good missionary 
wished that all on board might safely reach 
the journey's end, and went to the master 
and owner and said, "Sirs, I see that this 
voyage will be with great danger even to our 
lives. Don't go on, but wait for a better 

127 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

time." But it did not seem a very good 
place to winter in, and they were in a hurry 
to go on; and go on they did, when the south 
wind blew softly, and they thought all would 
be well. But not long after, there arose a 
mighty wind, and the ship was caught in it 
and tumbled about as a giant would toss a 
baby, so that the men who were sailing her 
could do nothing but let her drive. Next 
day they tossed much of the cargo the ship 
was bearing to its port, into the sea, so that 
the vessel would be lighter, and then, when 
many days passed by, and neither sun nor 
stars were seen, all hope of being saved was 
taken away. Now came the brave mission- 
ary to cheer up the sad hearts. " You ought 
to have listened to me," he said, "and not 
started from the island where was a harbor, 
but never mind now. Cheer up. Not one 
life shall be lost, only the ship. For an angel 
stood by me last night and said, ' Don't be 
afraid. You must stand before the ruler 
who is to try you, and God has given you 
all that sail with you!' Now cheer up, for I 
believe God that it shalKbe as He told me." 
But when they had been driven up and down 
for fourteen days, at midnight they found 
they were getting into water not deep enough 

128 




Aame the Preacher on the Shore 



WHO WAS IT? STORIES 

to keep them off the rocks, so they cast out 
four anchors, and wished for the day. The 
missionary begged them to eat something, 
and himself took bread, asked a blessing, 
and gave it to them. Then they all felt 
better and cast out more wheat into the sea, 
for there were three hundred and seventy-six 
people aboard. In the morning they ran 
aground and the ship broke to pieces, but those 
who could swim cast themselves into the water, 
and the rest hung to broken boards, and so 
they all got safe to land. Who was the 
missionary? 



129 



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